Quebec City Celebrates 400 Years1608-2008By Valerie Summers When Samuel de Champlain chose to settle at Kebec (“where the river narrows” in Algonquin), he could have no idea of what the future held for what has become the beautiful, historic Quebec City, Canada. In 1985, it became the first North American urban center to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2008, Quebec City has preserved it glorious past while fashioning its unique brand of modernity.
Historic Old Quebec is a lively city center of winding streets and quaint town squares with some very old but well maintained buildings. Overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River, it exudes a charm which I find rare on the North American continent.  Having visited this delightful and picturesque city on several occasions in the past and during every season, I was pleased to discover a new activity which I could participate in with friends and at the same time learn some history. A short walk from my conveniently situated hotel, Loews Le Concorde, overlooking massive city park known as the Plains of Abraham, took us to the starting point for our adventure.
Known as Champlain’s Prophecy, this escapade launched us on a walking trip around the old city where we would discover some of the city’s rich history. This treasure hunt, patterned after the Da Vinci Code, has created a mystery, combining fiction with heritage. Our group was broken into teams given some preparatory information and then set off, armed with an Adventure Booklet, to see who would accomplish the mission first. The booklet directed us to 38 stops and included puzzle-like references to what we were looking for before continuing on. As often as I had passed by the stops we made, I saw things I had never noticed before and in doing so, discovered much of the history of Quebec City.  This history will be celebrated in a big way in 2008 when Quebec City commemorates its founding in 1608 with special events continuing through the year including major international events with longstanding links to its history and culture. The kickoff for the 400 year gala begins on New Year’s Eve with a giant musical, theatrical and acrobatic production offering a special way to bring in the New Year.
During the summer, the birthday party of a 400-year lifetime will continue with four days of splendid celebrations leading up to July 3, the anniversary of the founding of Quebec City. The site of the closing events celebrating Quebec’s cultural diversity takes place at Bassin Louise in the Old Port of Quebec. This official site of the festivities offers a central meeting place where visitors can explore and join in with the activities. It’s a once in a lifetime event that I will be happily celebrating with my French-speaking Canadian neighbors to the north. For information: Air Canada
888/247-2262
www.aircanada.com Champlain’s Prophecy (advanced reservations are advised)
525, rue du Bon-Pasteur
Quebec, OC G1R 5R6 Canada
418/687-6096
www.avacture.com Hotel Loews Le Concorde: On Grande Allee, this four-star four-diamond hotel offers more than 400 of the most spacious rooms in Quebec City and features a revolving restaurant on its top floor.
1225 cours du General-De Montcalm
Quebec City G1R 4W6
800/463-5256
www.loewsleconcorde.com Quebec City Office of Tourism
399 rue Saint-Joseph Est
Quebec (Quebec) Canada G1k 8E2
418/641-6654
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